Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are animals and plants that have had their genes changed. They may have a strong resistance against pesticides and harmful aggressors. These plants differ from others growing naturally wild in nature, or in crossbreeding. They are made in a laboratory, and then sold to farmers to plant and harvest.  The ongoing debate is very controversial and has many different aspects to consider. In an article written by David Schubert, a reporter for the CNN news, genetically modified organisms help farmers grow their crops, feed people worldwide, and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (Schubert). The main stakeholders in the GMO debate are the farmers who can now grow crops year-round and the corporations that own the genes to these plants. Some people say that genetically modified organisms are harmful to the population, however they still consume food that has been processed and packaged. Processing food has been known to change the food in one way or another. In an article written by Laura Parker, a writer for the National Geographic, she says that ninety percent of the crops used in today's food supply are genetically engineered (Parker). Since the public now knows that most of the food that we consume is genetically altered, the debate is switching gears to encourage corporations to label their foods, if GMOs are present. There are multiple sides to this debate, some are for GMOs, some are against, and some people just want the public to be informed of their affects to one's health by labeling the products.

There are multiple positions that one can take on this topic. Two of the obvious stances include "pro-GMO" and "against-GMO." However, there are many gray areas where these stances crossover. Some are concerned with the long term safety, labeling the foods, and fighting against giant companies making money off of struggling farmers.  Of the concerned, Madelyn Fernstrom, a writer for the NBC News Network, says that the Food and Drug Administration has tested these genetically modified organisms and said that the public should not be worried but that these foods are here to stay (Fernstrom). Many of the people who are supporting these genetically modified organisms just want to educate others on the benefits of GMOs, such as year-round harvesting and disease resistance. Most people want to get rid of the harmful genetically modified organisms, while allowing the healthy ones to thrive. They want the public to know that GMOs are not the enemy, and the more informed the public is, the better our food security will be (Newitz). That same article, written by Annalee Newitz, sheds light on the positive aspects of genetically modified organisms and encourages people to see the good that they can do for the world. It even says that if big GMO companies, such as Monsanto, are taking advantage of farmers, they should be limited or even stopped. Another article, written by Amy Harmon, talks about a man's personal positive experience with genetically modified organisms. He mentions while he was living in Hawaii, a giant strain of the state's papayas were genetically altered, and because of that, the papayas were saved from the disease. However, even though they have been proven useful, there have been bills to ban the use of GMOs in the entire state of Hawaii, starting in May of 2013 (Harmon). Amy Harmon says that genetically modified organisms will always have a negative connotation. She talks about the necessity of the genetically modified organisms to feed a growing population in a warming environment. She believes that the public should be informed about the positive aspects of genetically modified organisms and how the connotation of GMOs should be reevaluated.

Another argument on the "pro-GMO" perspective is the idea that
corporations should label the foods that are genetically modified. Tamar Haspel, the author of, "If GMOs Are Safe, Should We Label Them?" talks about the issue of labeling genetically modified organisms. He talks about how labeling would positively affect the way consumers see their food. Haspel now supports the labeling of genetically modified organisms because he says that, "People are entitled to know what they're eating, and the history of food labeling in this country supports that idea" (Haspel). We already know that we are eating GMOs because 90% percent of our food is processed, therefore it is already genetically altered in one way. One reason the food suppliers do not want to label their food is the fear that if they do, then the public will be in even more fear (Parker). General Mills, the company that makes Cheerios, has decided to change that certain cereal to GMO free. This is the first time that an American product has become GMO free, and some say that it's just to pull in more customers to buy their product. However, it is also seen as "A sign of power of the growing grassroots movement, and a reminder that in America, the consumer is king" (Parker). Genetically modified organisms are here to stay, so we should be able to opt out of buying altered food if we choose to. Some even ask the question of why these organisms are modified in the first place, and why are they necessary to put into our food supply.

Some people argue that genetically modified organisms are just outright wrong and that they should be eliminated from our food supply all together. The article written by David Schubert explains the fact that GMOs were first introduced to increase the crop harvest and become resistant to diseases and disasters. Because of this, they are no longer killed by the built in toxins which causes increased resistance and more than 530 million pounds of pesticides used in the last sixteen years. Having such a substantial amount of chemicals in the plants worries people that they could eventually seep into the human population. Since we are not used to these kinds of chemicals, we are exposed to new strains of disease that our bodies cannot tackle. He mentions that science hasn't truly caught up to the chemicals farmers are spraying on their crops (Schubert). Even though the Food and Drug Administration has approved GMOs and claimed that they are safe, doesn't mean consumers shouldn't be worried about them. Some wonder how the FDA has the time to test all of the organisms that are going straight into our food supply, and are fully convinced that many go untested and are ultimately unsafe. A writer for The Huffington Post, Jeffrey Smith, says that certain genetically modified organisms even have pesticides that can form holes in human cells and in the stomachs of insects. According to a survey done in 2013, more than 1/3 of the United States' population tries to avoid genetically modified organisms. When people eliminate GMOs from their diet, they report to have better health, like more energy and better skin conditions. Along with the health hazards, studies have shown that, "GMOs don't increase yields, don't solve world hunger, and massively increase herbicide use" (Smith).

Even though there has been some testing done on genetically modified organisms, there have been no long-term studies that are tracking how they affect our health down the road. In an article written by Samantha Chang, a writer for Examiner.com explains that these foods are safe at the beginning, but no research has been done to show what they do to our bodies in twenty years (Chang). One of the current studies, reported by an author for NPR, Eliza Barclay, talks about how researchers have linked these genetically altered organisms to hastened aging, endocrine systems problems, infertility and becoming resistant to antibiotics (Barclay). Monocultures have taken the place of generational farms growing since the end of World War II. These monocultures grow, "one thing at a time with minimal crop rotation and massive use of toxic chemicals." Genetically modified organisms haven't been tested for safety by the FDA, USDA, or the EPA (Fernstrom). There are hundreds of articles that are peer reviewed that conclude that these genetically modified organisms are harmful to our health and have negative outcomes. Monsanto, a corporation that sells their GM seeds, makes their money by selling to farmers trying to make a living by selling their product. Monsanto originally didn't have to release their records until a lawsuit that came years afterwards. A scientist from MIT, Stephanie Seneff, said that the main pesticide used for these GMOs may be, "The most important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions" (Smith).

Overall, most people just want to be informed and have their food labeled if it has been genetically modified. They are all about consumer rights and keep saying that people have a right to know what they are putting into their bodies. Tracy Loew, a writer for the Statesman Journal, says that the foods that have been genetically modified are already labeled in over 60 countries. Only a certain group of people genuinely care about genetically modified organisms. Most of the public knows their food is altered in one way or another, and they really don't care. Some consumers can be stakeholders, however most of the public doesn't think twice about seeing a "GMO free" label on their food. They would prefer to have their food grown naturally, but some say that as long as they taste the same and aren't harmful, it doesn't affect or matter to them (Loew). In conclusion, we should start looking at genetically modified organisms, "As part of the toolkit we'll use to feed humanity in the future. To do that, we can't reject GMOs outright" (Newitz). In an article in Mother Jones, writer Indre Viskontas, says that we just need to educate ourselves to make an informed decision with our food and health; they are not the enemies (Viskontas).  This research that I have conducted has informed my views on both sides of the genetically modified organism argument. Since this debate is still going on, it's hard to say whether or not these GMOs are harmful to one's health or not. At first glance, they seem to be very helpful in feeding many people around the world. However, they are affecting our food supply in many ways, and have been for the last twenty years, and will continue in the future. There is still a lot of research going on, so it is hard to make a final conclusion to my research question. There are new articles being written everyday surrounding this topic, so new information is coming out all the time. In the future, I will need to keep up with the ever changing articles and keep up to date on the new information being released.
